Wednesday 20th June

What a change...a beautiful morning and it stayed that way for most of the day.  I put forward a suggestion that we could go swimming or go down to Greece but my guest had had a bad night so I dressed for the garden.  Poached eggs on ham for breakfast followed by my grapefruit marmalade, I moved outside and pottered for a while while he promptly went back to sleep in the chair.  There was a lot of commotion with the farmers dogs and the sheep.  There was another one barking on the hillside, the sheep were huddled against my wall and the dogs were standing guard.  Eventually the sheep farmer arrived, appraised the situation, made a phone call and peace was restored.  I weeded the vegetable patch and put a new piece of wood against the original surround so that the soil stayed in the bed and didn't get scattered on the lawn.  I came in for a drink, there was movement in the camp so I went out again and he got on the wrong end of the lawnmower and carried on where he'd left off yesterday.  

I was beginning to wonder where the day had gone.. it goes so quickly when you don't get moving until ten.  Suddenly there was a shout form the bottom of the garden .'camera' so I dutifully went in and got it from the house and headed down.  There was a male lizard with pretty markings and a really long tail standing completely still on the grass.  He stayed for a photo call and had to be shunted off the lawn so that the rest could be mowed.  I played around with the foam rubber for the cushions for the tarted up garden sofa and managed to fit them inside an old duvet cover so they will be sewn at a later date but back on the terrace and functional.  

As we sat chewing over the day a beautiful white kitten with a small ginger cat were legging it along the wall.  She obviously wanted nothing of his attention or intentions and she scuttled up the mulberry half way up the garden.  The male decided to lounge seductively on the wall until I approached and sent him packing and I encouraged the little one down.  She hopped down and off the wall into the field and the next minute she was back up,over the wall but the ginger one wasn't in pursuit, well probably was but I looked over the wall and he scarpered.  

So chicken legs are in the oven, onions, potatoes and beetroot are all baking and I can smell that it won't be long.  Quite a bit of activity today and it looks like the weather has settled down again...I shall be out there watering the garden again soon.  LN...Kitchen calls before it spoils.... LN

Thursday 21st June

So I woke up at one this morning and thought I'd got English neighbours....I'd left my little Lenovo on an English television channel...strange feeling.  I switched it off, went back to sleep ad it was just before seven when I to for the second time.  Down for a coffee and took it outside taking the cushions out with me and enjoyed the morning.  I had enough bread so didn't venture down to the van and ten minutes later my Avatar was at the door with a pot of fresh homemade yogurt.  We chatted for a while and off she went, I made boiled eggs for breakfast with toast and marmalade and I shall have to make some more the way that it's going down.  I got dressed, out to the garden and potted up some ginger from the kitchen that had started to bud.  I've never tried it before and I thought I'd give it a chance, it's supposed to like hot and humid so I've made containers out of three litre water bottles with the tops cut of and made into lids so that they should have the correct environment.  We shall see...I washed the container from the yogurt and took it back and spotted my Avatar in Beyser's garden so I sat with the ladies, mentioned that I was going in to Djebel and did they want anything but only Avatar took the hook asking for potatoes and water.

Djebel for a few things and went to the soup kitchen for lunch.  Met a few friends that are now working in Germany and now have families of their own...good catch-up.  We stopped off at the spring on the way back to fill up eight eleven litre bottles of water, one for Avatar and the rest for me and the flowers in the garden...they drink it...I don't.  Slept the afternoon away and went to deliver the water and the potatoes and suddenly the other women descended and complained that they didn't have water but didn't ask for any when I offered....Tough....

Off to Momchilgrad for supper tonight since the weather is good to see if there is water in the pool....Eight ten my time so have to get a wiggle on.  Only pictures of the donkey over the way and a strange bird and I'm still not sure if it's a magpie or a hooded crow...or 'a.en.other'  LN....Off to eat....LN

  

  

Friday 22nd June

Seven start this morning and not a lot happening until I managed to get dressed at eleven thirty.  I cooked breakfast, sat out on the terrace enjoying the sun for what it was worth, watched the lizard on the terrace eating up the ants and bugs, made more coffee and listened to the birds.  It is with shame that I report it was so late getting dressed but I made up for it once I got started.

The garden called me...I dug round the wild plum and removed the old poppies and the weeds and planted up an Abelia that I'd grown from a cutting from a plant that I've had for a few years.  Normally the big one goes into the little house for winter and I thought I'd give this one the winter treatment and see how it goes.  I moved on to the little bed on the long wall of the little house and cleared out all the weeds...there are just so many of them...lots of rain and very hot days and they pop up from nowhere or so it seems.  Obviously we know that they come from seeds hidden in the soil...   The garden behind where the old toilet used to be is now free from weeds and tomorrow I might try to build a wall on the old concrete to save the bank from falling down.  From there I moved to the bottom of the garden, had a bonfire and started on the conifer bed, dug out round the new buddleia and removed even more rocks from around it giving it a fighting chance but they don't seem to demand much...the one that I put in last year is already four feet tall and has lots of flowers ready to burst open....let's hope like mother like daughter.

Avatar came round tonight and updated me with the news.  We did a tour of the garden and I'm still trying to persuade her to go for raised beds in her great expanse of grass and to put some shrubs in.  I've got lots that she can have for free and shrubs come up every year without much effort....maybe next year when her son comes over.  Cleared up and packed away by seven and it looked like we were in for another heave shower.  The thunder has been rumbling for most of the afternoon but we seem to have avoided it and the downpours that normally go with it.  Supper of spicy sausage with onions and chippies and I haven't cooked those in a while.  I did managed to clean out the chip pan before my guest came and in went new oil and they browned up nicely.  The boiler for the hot water is on...I'm going to linger in the bath to ease my aching limbs...all that bending down isn't good for one.  No photos worth publishing....I couldn't see the screen in the sun and missed everything by miles.  I'll pay more attention tomorrow,  LN....Off for a soak....LN

Saturday 23rd June

It was a seven start this morning and after a very lazy bath last night I slept the sleep of the just.  I went out on to the terrace to drink my coffee but was aware of the noise of a lawn-mower and it was Avatar out bright and early cutting down the grass that had dared to grow.  She switched it off and I sat down with her and noticed that there was a bird feather peeping out of the filter cover so I asked her if she ever cleaned the filter to which her replay was...what's that.  So I removed the filter cover and washed the filter out and there was lots of dirt and oil in there.  She was amazed at my technical knowledge and really to amaze her, I checked the oil and said that she needed an oil change,  It was at this point that I passed the information over to my guest and he can earn his crust on her machine...   

I was down to the bread van in pyjama top and local baggy trousers, I needed fresh bread and owe him a lev...he had cheesy bread.  Boiled eggs for breakfast and I was just clearing away and Avatar was outside with her fuel can and asking if I wouldn't mind getting her some when we were in Kardjali today.  I gave her some for the machine guessing that it must have coughed and spluttered and that's why she wanted more and I picked up the empty can and put it ready to take to Kardjali.  

Down the back lane and that's got really bumpy since we had the torrential rain a few days ago and is desperately in need of something to fill up the potholes.  It's OK for me having quite a bit of ground clearance in the Beast but I reckon some of the smaller cars would have a real problem.  Normal car park, in to the cheapy shop and found a pair of pink cotton not so shorts, down to the market so that my guest could change up some money, I bought another oleander and some bug repellent plants from the market and back to the car within the hour more or less so now extra parking charges.  Over to Kaufland and bought a cheap electric mower to save lugging the biggie round in the pathways, topped up on food items and to Lidl for extra top ups and then it started raining.  It had been cloudy and threatening but we'd been lucky.  I stopped off at the petrol station and got ten leva's worth in the can, drove home and Avatar said that I'd given her just enough fuel to finish the job.  My lawn mower is assembled and it looks very twee, as the sun went down the rain came out in sympathy and brought with it a rainbow.  Lovely light tonight on the hillside and on the clouds rising from the hills....sunsets and sunrises a speciality here.

Tomorrow might be a mishmash....I'm waiting for decisions to be made as to what tomorrow will bring....but I have my secret hopes.  LN....Very pleasant day.....LN

Sunday 24th June

Unusual start to the day.  At five my home phone started to ring and me always expecting the worst, rush down to get it thinking that it might be a problem from the UK.  It stopped ringing before I could get to it so I unplugged it and took it upstairs and blow me it started to ring again only this time I checked the number and it was local.  I didn't say anything but a male voice said good morning to me in Bulgarian, I replied in English and asked who it was and what did he want.  It all went quiet on the line and again he said good morning so I asked him again what he wanted and then the line went dead.  If it was a dirty phone call, he didn't hide his number and I'm very tempted to ring it probably when he's gone to work and speak to his wife....it sounded like that sort of 'Good Morning....'  

So I didn't get back to sleep and I've felt a bit crotchety all day....I went out in the garden in PJ's and yellow wellingtons since it had been raining overnight and suddenly I heard the bread van and realised that I needed to pay my debts from yesterday, wanted a brown loaf and ten eggs so I didn't bother to change and went down as I was.  Avatar emerged from her house and asked me to call in on the way back, she was going to cook me some yeasty pancakes for breakfast.  One loaf, ten eggs, debts paid and I watched Avatar slaving over a hot stove while she made six of the beauties and I skipped back home clutching my haul.  She also gave me five eggs from one of her neighbours despite my protestations,  So my guest had ham and local white cheese on his hot pancake while I had yogurt and pine tip syrup with mine...delicious if messy.  I got washed and dressed and out to the garden to weed the terrace bed, the large top bed by the grave garden, planted up some more tobacco, put in some snapdragons and cleared the weeds from the long garden under the little house terrace.   It's been a day of back braking work but somebody has to do it and there was only me available...until I took a break and caught some of the England match.

So worked outside until six thirty and watered all the pot plants.  Supper was pork escalopes with chippies and carrots followed by ice-cream and now I feel stuffed.  Nothing much on the agenda tomorrow...it's very much weather dependent but it doesn't look too promising at the moment.....we are surrounded by clouds.  LN....Might catch a little tele....LN

Monday 25th June

I slept in until just before eight today...I did wake at six but decided to get my head down again and felt better for it.  My guest was up already and performing ablutions, I made coffee and we sat out in the sun until hunger brought us inside and I started breakfast.  I had a couple of beef tomatoes that were starting to go soft and two spicy sausages that needed using up so needs as needs must.  I'd was upstairs when I hear a mighty crack on the window and it was photo shoot time.  A finch had gone hell for leather into the landing windows and lay in a large flower bowl looking much the worse for its experience.  It was beak open, eyes fluttering and tail resting on the rim of the pot.  We left it for while and then I started to move the bowl and it seemed to come to it's senses.  It held it's head up, closed its beak and managed to get its legs underneath it and I reckoned it would be OK given a little more time.  I went into the house and pottered for a while, went outside again, shook the bowl even harder, he was back into this world, flapped its wings and took off for the cherry tree.  I checked round the tree and found nothing.....so it must have made it but I bet it had one heck of a headache,,,

So my next task was to go and high-jack my Avatar's petrol lawnmower from the back shed and wheel it over to mine for a check-up.  She'd gone off to Djebel and my guest very kindly offered to give it the once over and oil change if necessary.  He checked the oil and oiled the wheel bearings, a thorough clean and the it seemed to run very smoothly.  I took it back and she still hadn't returned and brought the electric one over so that could have the same treatment.  This was more of a problem,....mainly plastic body but he removed the blade and straightened it out...it had had a hard time and bashed a few bricks in its time.  There was also a strange cable arrangement where someone had attached a normal plug to it and when we took it back, and by this time she had come back from Djebel, she produced the correct plug and it was put in the machine.  She was over the moon...asked how much it was going to cost and I came back with the stock reply of 'sto lev' and she said that she could afford fifty but no more.  I laughed and we scuttled off...we don't take money for that sort of work.

Coming back into the gate we noticed that the support that had been applied to lift the gate up so that it opened with no effort were no longer effective.  A bastard bovine had obviously stuck its head through the gate to get at the honeysuckle for a tasty snack and somehow had managed not to get stuck.  Desperate times, desperate measures....I had some metal galvanised wire mesh so we set to and lined the inside of the gates and there is no way a cow can stick its head through now.  A bit of a lengthy process...it was stiff to work with but it's attached and that's all that matters.

As for the rest of my day...my seedlings still need housing but that will have to wait for another day.  I've been more of a builder's mate ...'just pass me this, and 'can you hold this'.  There are still clouds gathering over Smolyan but at least it's clear towards Greece.  Supper was a mixture of potatoes, beans and a can of corned beef mixed with some beetroot and made into a hash...it was a hash but a tasty one, ice-cream to follow....I feel a diet coming on.  Nothing on the cards so far for tomorrow....just go with the flow.  LN...Down time...LN

Tuesday 26th June

Six thirty start but I lay in bed  listening to the weather...and yes...it was raining.  The UK is basking in sunshine, I've watched Eastbourne tennis this afternoon and it's wall to wall with the players being shielded from the sun by umbrellas.  Much different here....and it's June for goodness sake.  Down for seven, coffee and sitting around until eight, breakfast of bacon and egg at eight thirty and fully washed and kitchen tidy by nine fifteen.  It was cold, miserable and raining but it looked like a good day to get the petchka pipes out and so I did.

Out with the pipes and into the porch, cleaned the boiler inside and out and by this time it had stopped so I moved outside to clean out the pipes.  There wasn't a lot in there but I felt happier doing it...my guest has a habit of keeping the home fires burning with only gas fires at home...this is a novelty so the more the merrier.  The more up the chimney the better so I take precautions.  So all back together again and I checked out the chimney pipes in the downstairs toilet and there wasn't a lot of rubbish in there so I lit a small fire to check that there were no leaks and smoke pouring out and everything was good.  

So as the rain set in I became more lethargic and took to the sofa with my Kindle.  I found a you-tube video of the maps of Game of Thrones but that was even more confusing that the books since it took it way back into the brain of George M M Martin.  The second one explained who Jon Snow's father was but so many ran off with others and they were related to and so on and so forth.  I put that video to bed too.  It was at this point that I got settled in to the tennis and I'm watching Jo Konta about to finish her game and go through, I've done my time in the kitchen and there's a pork curry cooking for tonight and I only have to do the rice.....Shinmples...that's the sort of supper I like...it cooks itself.  The house is toasty, the fire has been kept in all day and it cheers the house up.....I hate cold and miserable.

I've just watched the shepherd went his way over the hillside with bedraggles sheep.  I bet he's pretty fed up with the weather too.  LN....It could be indoor swimming tomorrow...LN

Wednesday 27th June

Oh, oh. Noah.....Noah didn't it rain.....and it was throwing it down until eleven this morning.  Breakfast was a catasatrophe.  My guest fancied an omelette so it  was out with the usual frying pan but I'd forgotten that i'd fried tomatoes in it and it had taken the coating off.  I ended up scrambling three eggs for me and out came the new pan that I've only had seven years or so and used twice and that did the omelette to perfection.  Toast to follow and then down to computer games until the rain stopped.

It seemed to slow down and then it came back with a vengeance, the sky got lighter, quickly out with the washing and it managed to dry it before it started again.  I spent the first part of the day emptying out the containers again...the poor plants were drowning,  The seeds were getting washed away and it was my job today to get them in the ground but I only succeeded in clearing one of the petunia pots into the bed under the little house terrace...only three more containers to shift ,  My guest was busy edging one of the flower beds for me and I decided that the tomatoes wanted a haircut and boy did they have it but I notice that I've got a few already set and growing.  The peppers are doing well as are the beetroot and as for cucumbers, four already plucked and eaten and  the next lot on the production line.  We really need to mention the one carrot...I should put more seeds in especially for the ants.

Washing on the clothes airier in the bathroom, the shower turned out to be nothing and so I was out there again tackling the big flower bed at the bottom of the garden.  It wasn't easy to clear...there were old fashioned marigolds growing in there along with zinnia, french marigolds and tobacco so I had to replant those as quickly as they came out.  There is more order to the planting now but my final shot was to remove the wooden surround from the bed.  I'd used old fencing and was never pleased with it so a proper job will be done on it tomorrow weather permitting.  I haven't a clue what to do for supper so I better head down and see what I can find...there's got to be something quick in the freezer.  Looks like the rain might keep off tonight...fingers crossed,,,the plans for the ark can go away and I'll cancel the order for the wood.  LN...Kitchen calls....LN

Thursday 28th June

Seven start for me and no visual sign of my guest but there were noises coming form the bedroom of the snoring variety.  I got washed and dressed fairly quickly and as I left the porch the bread man tooted his horn and I headed down to the square.  Bit of an amusing one this morning, Zelinger appeared and I thought she was asking me for 'Borkanni'...jars for making jam and stuff but she was telling me that she had a 'porkanni' for me which is translated as 'an invitation' for the wedding.  Haciber was at the van and when I went to see my Avatar, Haciber appeared so I related the story.  It was at this point that we spotted the difference.  Doh...and now I know a new word.  I brought back a cheesy bread from the van and cooked bacon and fried eggs and made sandwiches with the bread...delicious .  

So it was chucking it down again when I went out to the van and we had our first interlude around twelve.  I went out there with the trowel and planted up some of my babies, was out there for about an hour when it started again.  More emptying of pots...I feel like a chambermaid and I suppose the solution would be to leave them out of the buckets.  I really didn't expect it to go on for so long.

Daffodil bulbs are washed and i the little house to dry and will eventually get netted up.  Fabulous skies this afternoon if you like that sort of thing and one clap of thunder really caught me out and made me jump.  It's still cloudy but the sun is lingering over Smolyan but for how long I'm not really sure.  Supper is in which is better than last night.  I made it to the kitchen and still didn't make anything.  Neither of us were in the mood for 'real food' and picked at crisps and nuts...very healthy...not.  Tonight we have barbecued spare rib with roasted vegetables and red cabbage...quite a plateful and I'm looking forward to it.  As for tomorrow...I think we'll head into Kardjali if the rain keeps off.  I think we both have cabin fever...except that it's fine, you go out and then you have to come in again and take up where you left off with books and the likes.  LN...Kitchen calls, supper is ready.....LN

Friday 29th June

Seven start, beautiful moon last night as it broke over the mountains and the clouds were gently scudding over it,  It was very bright last night and I tried to see if there was a portent for a very yellow moon but it all it gave me was a harvest moon but we're not really near and never will be if it keeps on raining.  I missed the bread van so waited for him to appear on his way back.  I took a walk down to the bench on the square and my Avatar was in her glad rags and Zelinger was with her and I related the story of the 'invitation' as opposed to 'jars for bottling' and she found it very funny.  She is very insistent that I get an invitation to her grandson's wedding, It's at Makazza and I'm not sure some of the old dears from the village will make it through to the end.  It starts at seven and ends at midnight...I think some of them might be asleep on the coach on the way back.  My Avatar was heading into Djebel to meet up with her brother ...he's going to Turkey for a month and I noted that she'd put washing out and I really didn't think it would get dry having seen the forecast.  Off they went, they didn't wait for the bus and managed to get a life from a young lad from the lower village.

I walked home and managed to stop the bread van and pay my debts...I prefer it that way.  No cooking breakfast for me, we headed into Djebel and went to one of the cafes for a banichka and yogurt drink and carried on to Kardjali and by this time the weather had cleared and it was pleasant walking around.  We carried on to the bank, I raided the cash point and then on to the cheapy clothes shop to see what was on offer.  I found a red rain jacket for me and a hooded top for my guest and the bill for both was seven leva....and both brand new...who throw such stuff away!!  Paid my phone bill. went to Kaufland and stocked up and over to Lidl and back home via Djebel to get some black tea for my guest.  Lidl and Kaufland have stopped selling it...they seem to stick to the fruity stuff.

When we arrived home it started to rain, not heavy but really big spots so I headed over to Avatar's garden and collected her washing seeing that she wasn't home.  I brought it back and put it on the clothes airer in the conservatory just as it started to pour down.  I'd left the Beast out so decided to put it in the garage and as I was walking back to the house, Avatar appeared and asked if I had her washing....Apparently she'd been round the other neighbours first and I was her last resort and was surprised to see that they were virtually dry and on the airer....it's what we British do.

Supper in the over and over with.  Chicken wings and roasted vegetables and I'm stuffed to the gills.  The rain seems to have stopped for now, there's a strange light lingering, the start of a rainbow that came to nothing and I've noticed that I have three new white roses out on my bush near the front wall.  Second flowering this year.  So washing up done, time to relax and take stock.  Let's see what tomorrow's weather brings as to what activities we can get up to.  LN....It might be ark building....LN